most distant, and yet hostile to the Church. On all these prophecies, evidently not yet fulfilled, little can be conjectured with safety. They are to be handed down to the Church of the latter days, even as those prophecies, which we have seen fulfilled, have been delivered to us; and with this consolation, that this "overflowing of iniquity," whenever it arrives, shall be miraculously and completely terminated †. And this is the last successful effort of satan against the Church. He is then consigned to his eternal prison. * See Mede's Works, p. 280; Abp. Newcome on Ezekiel xxxviii. 2; also Lowth on the same passage. + So Ezek. xxxix. 6. Isaiah xivii. 13, 14; xxxiii. 14. ζωής και εκρίθησαν οἱ νεκροὶ ἐκ τῶν γεραμμένων ἐν τοῖς βιβλίοις, καλὰ τὰ 13 ἔργα αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἔδωκεν ἡ θάλασσα τὲς ἐν αὐτῇ νεκρός, xỳ • Dávalos xỳ ó ᾅδης ἔδωκαν τὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς νεκρὸς καὶ εκείθησαν έκαςος κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτ 14 τῶν. Καὶ ὁ θά ναῖος καὶ ὁ gons ἐβλήθησαν εἰς τὴν dumy to augós ἐτός ἐσιν ὁ δεύτερος 15 Sávalos. Kai τις εχ εὑρέθη ἐν τῇ Fichy Tns Cans γεςαμμένος, ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν λίμνην το πυρός. life. And the dead were judged from the things written in the books, according to 13 their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it: and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them: and they were judged, every one according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the 15 second death. And if any one were not found written in the book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire. dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to 13 their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged, every man according 14 to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the se15 cond death. And who soever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. The Christian Church being now triumphant over its enemies, and the instigator of all mischief being himself eternally banished, there is no more warfare to relate. Nothing remains but to describe that general judgment, which shall render to every man according to his works; when, immortality succeeding to mortality, death, that "last enemy, shall be destroyed." The appearance of the great Judge, before whose " "presence "the earth and the heaven are seen to flee away;" at whose approach, the former scenery, (as described in ch. iv. &c.) vanishes, and the process of the tribunal, by which the books of crimination and of life are opened, are shortly and sublimely related: and the language, though figurative, being conformable to other passages foretelling this great event, is of easy and obvious interpretation. We may perhaps except from this description ver. 14, wherein death and hell are said to be cast into the lake of fire, called the second death. But this second death will be found explained in note, ch. ii. 11. * Compare Mal. iii. 16; iv. 1: Job xxi. 30: Psalm ix. 17: Dan. vii. 9; xii. 2: Isaiah xxviii. 14-19: Matt. xiii. 41, 42: Mark ix. 44: 1 Cor. xv: Phil. iii. 21. 1 Thess. iv. 16; 2 Thess. i. 7-10: 2 Tim. i. 10: Heb. ii. 14: 1 Pet. iii. 7, 10: Jude 14, 15: also Rev. i. 14. 18; iii. 5; iv. 2, 3; ii. 11; vi. S; with the notes thereon. τὸ Θεὸ ἐκ τῶ ἐρανε, ἡτοιμασμένην, ὡς νύμφην κεκοσμημέ νην τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς. 3 Καὶ ήκεσα φωνής μεγάλης ἐκ το ἐρανό, λεγέσης. Ἰδέ, ἡ σκηνὴ τῇ Θεῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπ πων, καὶ σκηνώσει μὲν αὐτῶν, καὶ αὐτ τοὶ λαὸς αὐτῷ ἔσον as a bride adorned for out of heaven, saying; "cle of God with 66 men: and he will “ dwell with them: “ himself will be with prepared as a bride adorned for her hus3 band, And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying; Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God him self shall be with them, « them, their God. | 4 and be their God. And ται, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς | 4 “ And he will wipe ἔςαι μέν αὐτῶν, ' away every tear froin nor their eyes. Anddeath λέγει [μοι]· Γεάψον· ὅτι ἔτοι οἱ λόγοι ἀληθινοὶ καὶ 6 And mega, the beginning " and the end. I will 6 God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And he the that sat upon throne, said; Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me; Write: for, these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me; It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end: I will give unto him that is athirst, of the foun tain of the water of 7 life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. herit these things: | 8 But the fearful and " and I will be his unbelieving, and the αὐτὸς ἔται μοι ὁ 8 υιός. Τοῖς δὲ δει λοῖς καὶ ἀπίσοις, κα ἁμαρίωλοῖς καὶ ἐβδε λυμένοις, καὶ φονεῦ σι, καὶ πόρνοις, και φαρμακοῖς, καὶ εἶν δωλολάτραις, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ψεύδεσι, τὸ μέρος αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ καιομένη πυρὶ καὶ θείω, ὅ ἐστιν ὁ θάνατος ο δεύτερος. "God, and he shall 8 "be my son. But for "the cowardly, and "faithless, and sinners, "and defiled persons, "and murderers, and "fornicators, and sor"6 cerers, and idolaters, "and all the deceivers, "their portion is in "the lake burning with "fire and brimstone, "which is the second "death." abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Ver. 1. And I saw a new heaven; &c.] The general judgment having taken place, and the heavens and earth passed away, as described in ch. xx. 11, and also by St. Peter*, there follow (as mentioned also by the same Apostle) "new heavens and a new earth," foretold likewise by Isaiah t; to which St. Peter seems to refer, as to a prophecy unfulfilled. But the Apocalyptic prophecy does not rest upon the general assurance given by former prophets; it proceeds to a more particular description. It presents to us "the new city, "the New Jerusalem," "the Bride, the Spouse" of Christ. Under these images, which are perfectly concordant with many other texts of Scripture ‡, is represented that assembly of the Saints, purified from sin ; that "glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle," which is here contrasted with the great, the impure, See Eph. ii. 19, &c. Gal. iv. 26. Heb. xii. 22, &c.; viii. 2; ix. 11; xi. 10. 1 Pet. ii. 5; iii. 13, &c. 1 Cor. iii. 9. idolatrous |